Does anyone publish currency weighted (I think?) versions of major indices? For instance, if the S&P 500 is up 2% since January first, but the dollar compared to some basket of currencies is down 10%, would that represent a currency weighted 8% decline?

If you use Morningstar you can select in which currency you want to see a growth chart in the upper right hand corner of the chart

"To achieve satisfactory investment results is easier than most people realize; to achieve superior results is harder than it looks." - Benjamin Graham

Does anyone publish currency weighted (I think?) versions of major indices? For instance, if the S&P 500 is up 2% since January first, but the dollar compared to some basket of currencies is down 10%, would that represent a currency weighted 8% decline?

Most investors care about only one currency. If the S&P 500 is up 2% but the dollar falls 10% against the euro, then US investors in the S&P gained 2% and European investors lost 8%.

Converting to a basket of currencies would only make sense for economic analysis. If the world stock markets went up by 2% in the world average currencies, that says something about the world economy. Meanwhile, Americans with a globally diversified portfolio could be better off and Europeans worse off because the dollar fell against the euro.

I also finished out the year on a down note, losing 0.08% overall today on the portfolio from Thursday's fifth-straight daily all-time high, with losses on U.S. stocks overtaking significant gains on international stocks in the final minutes of the year. For most of the day, I was up 25-40 bp.

The end-of-the-day drop undoubtedly foreshadows doom in 2018. I should have sold it all at 3:30 PM to preserve the daily winning streak.

But on a positive note, my wife finally got a permanent job offer from the company she's been working for through a staffing company since July. She'll be 401(k) eligible after 3 months (from her start in a week). So if the market does drop, we'll be able to invest more at better prices.

I wonder if tax/RMD situations play a role in a 'January Effect' at the end of the year.

Or tax loss harvesting - I doubt Bogleheads lost any money this year but I'm guessing some people lost money...

My uncle lost money this year. I found out at the family christmas gathering. He is in his late 50s or early 60s and I asked him if he had a timeline to retirement. He said he wasn't sure since his stocks didn't do so well. I said, didn't stocks go up like 20% this year? He said yeah but his didn't do so well, but he avoided "the slump" last year (?). And that he would have made more money if he'd had the time but missed "a few money making opportunities". Not sure which guru he is listening to to buy and sell, I didn't ask him any more about it. Just told him that's why I just invest in the total stock market with index funds and left it at that. However, I doubt he knows much about tax loss harvesting so he's probably not influencing those numbers at all. I think I'm probably obnoxious enough without telling relatives 30 years older than me that they are making poor financial decisions.

I wonder if tax/RMD situations play a role in a 'January Effect' at the end of the year.

Or tax loss harvesting - I doubt Bogleheads lost any money this year but I'm guessing some people lost money...

My uncle lost money this year. I found out at the family christmas gathering. He is in his late 50s or early 60s and I asked him if he had a timeline to retirement. He said he wasn't sure since his stocks didn't do so well. I said, didn't stocks go up like 20% this year? He said yeah but his didn't do so well, but he avoided "the slump" last year (?). And that he would have made more money if he'd had the time but missed "a few money making opportunities". Not sure which guru he is listening to to buy and sell, I didn't ask him any more about it. Just told him that's why I just invest in the total stock market with index funds and left it at that. However, I doubt he knows much about tax loss harvesting so he's probably not influencing those numbers at all. I think I'm probably obnoxious enough without telling relatives 30 years older than me that they are making poor financial decisions.

Like the in-law of mine that is waiting to see if a stock is going to split so he can buy it cheap? I thought I was past hearing statements like that, but I guess not.

Market is worried china will stop buying treasury notes. I'm wondering if I should reconsider my 100% US stocks and add some international.

Could use the same argument to buy even more US stocks. If they're not buying Treasuries, what are they going to buy?
The U.S. runs huge trade deficit, they have to do something with surplus U.S. dollars.

"To achieve satisfactory investment results is easier than most people realize; to achieve superior results is harder than it looks." - Benjamin Graham

I didn't feel like I understood the foreign markets well enough to invest.

No worries, we'll help you work through it. (Consider that you may not need to do anything, it depends on what you have now.)

In order to give appropriate advice, it's best to keep all the information in one spot. I just merged your two 401(k) question threads together: 401k options [Which funds to choose?] You're asking about a 401(k), but we need that info (and replies) to help you with the rest of the portfolio.

Market is worried china will stop buying treasury notes. I'm wondering if I should reconsider my 100% US stocks and add some international.

You should’ve reconsidered that awhile ago

Why would you limit future gains to 1 country ?

I didn't feel like I understood the foreign markets well enough to invest.

TOTAL US admiral shares + TOTAL INT'L admiral shares - choose a US/Int'l Allocation (60/40, 50/50, 70,30, etc.) and feed whichever fund needs it in order to maintain that allocation you choose ... own shares of 10K companies

I didn't feel like I understood the foreign markets well enough to invest.

No worries, we'll help you work through it. (Consider that you may not need to do anything, it depends on what you have now.)

In order to give appropriate advice, it's best to keep all the information in one spot. I just merged your two 401(k) question threads together: 401k options [Which funds to choose?] You're asking about a 401(k), but we need that info (and replies) to help you with the rest of the portfolio.

Absolutely a bear. The market only went up like 3% so far this year. That said, it DROPPED .11% yesterday. Yikes!!! Panic time!! How can the market drop like that? Doesn't the market know that the tax cut is jucing corporate profits? There must be some other sinister factors afloat here. I'm pulling out immediately. How could I sleep otherwise?

I am not a lawyer, accountant or financial advisor. Any advice or suggestions that I may provide shall be considered for entertainment purposes only.

I wonder if tax/RMD situations play a role in a 'January Effect' at the end of the year.

Or tax loss harvesting - I doubt Bogleheads lost any money this year but I'm guessing some people lost money...

I had a short term loss of a few hundred bucks in my taxable account, and knew I was going to be funding my ROTH for 2018 out of that account, so I had one sale with a short term gain that covered the loss. I was going to sell the fund anyway (I had bought SCHD [Schwab US dividend equity ETF] on a whim, and needed to sell anyway--no sense in having dividends in a taxable account. So I guess I did some tax loss harvesting. I'm sure one of you will point out a better way to have handled the sale.

Finished my 6 month DCA today thanks to the little drop (if you could call it a drop... maybe just a leveling of almost 4%ytd gains...)

If you are ever considering a DCA vs lump sum, do lump sum. You will regret DCA if the market goes up (missed gains), and you will regret lump sum if the market goes down. Now what are the odds of you investing a lump sum the DAY before a bear? Significantly less likely than DCAing over a market gain. Come correction time, if you DCA, you will likely have less growth to absorb the blow than if you would have lump sum'd on day one.

Oh well, still out performed my old financial adviser by almost 5% in 2017, even with almost 30% in cash

Last edited by jeg208 on Tue Jan 16, 2018 3:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.

The time to panic is when all about you are losing their heads. Or something like that.
All good things must end.
This too shall pass.
Tomorrow is another day.
Buy low; sell high.
You'll never go broke taking a profit.
Bulls can make money. Bears can make money. Pigs get slaughtered.

I'm sure there is a wise old saying that will be applicable for today. However, it may take a year or more to know which best applies.
In the meantime, I'm going to get a good night's sleep tonight.

Clock radio awoke me with a +290 on Dow. I didnt sleep well last night with multiple leg cramps and got up very late.
Very interesting day. One of my 2018 resolutions is to trade more often in the Discretionary Acct. Its been a very positive day . I am out of my most speculative holding with 2 profitable round trips